HONORED BY HIS CONSTITUENTS.

Evening Star, Issue 15035, 18 November 1912, Page 1

HONORED BY HIS CONSTITUENTS.

PRIME MINISTER. AT PUKEKOHE.' A banquet was tendered to the Prime •Minister at Pukekohe on Saturday night by the local branch of the Political' Reform League. The Mayor of the Borough (Mr C-. K. Lawrie) presided. There were present two members of the Executive—the Hons. Dr Pomare and R. H. Rhodes—and the following members of Parliament--Messrs A. Harris (Waitemata). J. A. Young (Waikato), C. E. Statham (Dunedin Central), J. H. Bradney (Auckland West). F. Mander (Marsden), R. F. Bollard (Rarian), and J. S. Dickson (Parnell). In rising to reply to the toast of the evening, the Hon. Mr Massey said the loyalty_ of Franklin had been a" very great factor in placing the Reform party' in the position in whi'ch they now found themselves, and he wished to take the opportunity of thanking the people of the electorate for the way they had adhered to him. So_ far as the session was concerned it was unique in many respects-. One factstood out. and that was that the Government party had not been defeated in a. single division. Mr Massey then referred to the Reform of the Upper House. Yerv early next session, since both Chambers had affirmed the proposal that the Upper House should be elective, lie proposed that a Bill dealing with the question should be brought, down. The Prime Minister continued that the most important Bill before Parliament was the Land Bill., The land policy of this country was no longer leasehold, and the Government proposed to give every man the option of acquiring the section Tje occupied. Under the new proposals 2,000,000 acres of Crown land would bs affected, and 8,500 settlers would become, as it' weTe, emancipated, if thoy chose to fake the opportunity to acquire the freehold of their section's. He believed that when the Land Bill was put on the Statute Book it would he good for , every man. whether he lived in the city or on the land. The dearest wish of his colleagues and himself w-as that they would be able to improve the country aoid do something for the people. (Continued applause.)

The Hon. Mr Rhodes and the Hon. Dr Pomare replied to the toast of " Parliament," and spoke in complimentary terms regarding their " chief." The " Reform Party" was responded to .by the other members of Parliament present. Throughout the proceedings were marked by enthusiasm.